A Diplomat in Japan: The Inner History of the Criticial Years in the ...

Front matter

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Preface

THE first portion of this book was written at intervals between 1885 and 1887, during my tenure of the post of Her Majesty's minister at Bangkok. I had but recently left Japan after a residence extending, with two seasons of home leave, from September 1882 to the last days of December 1882, and my reooUection of what had occurred during any part of those twenty years was stiU quite fresh. A diary kept almost uninterruptedly from the day I quitted home in November 1861 constituted the foundation, while my memory enabled me to supply additional details. It had never been my purpose to relate my diplomatic experiences in different parts of the world, which came finally to be spread over a period of altogether forty-five years, and I therefore confined myself to one of the most interesting episodes in which I have been concerned. This comprised the series of events that culminated in the restoration of the direct rule of the ancient line of sovereigns of Japan which bad remained in abeyance for over six hundred years. Such a change involved the substitution of the comparatively modem city of Tedo, under the name of Tdkid, for the more ancient Kidto, which had abeady become the capital long before Japan was heard of in the western world.

When I departed from Siam in 1887 I laid the unfinished manuscript aside, and did not look at it again until September 1919, when some of my younger relations, to whom I had shown it, suggested that it ou^^t to be completed. This second portion is largely a transcript of my journals, supplemented from papers drawn up by me which were included in the Confidential Print of the time and by letters to my chief Sir Harry Parkes which have been published elsewhere. Letters to my mother have fumidied some particulars that were omitted from the diaries.

PREFACE

Part of the volume may read like a repetition of a few pages from my friend the late Lord Redesdale's '' Memories," for when he was engaged on that work he borrowed some of my journals of the time we -had spent together in Japan. But I have not referred to his volumes while writing my own.

ERNEST SATOW.

Note. — In pronouncing Japanese words the consonants are to be taken as in English, the vowels more or less as in Italian. 6^ except at the beginning of a word, when it is hard, represents ng.